Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued a singular direction to all SSPs and Commissioners of Police launch a concerted drive against drug peddlers and come out with concrete results within one month.Reviewing the law and order situation in the State in a meeting of SSPs of all districts and Commissioners of Commissionerates, Mr. Badal directed the police officers to strike at the root of the drug trade and not be content with just arresting drug peddlars. “You must investigate the forward and backward linkages”, he said adding there must be a zero tolerance towards drugs.Mr. Badal said that though there was a quantum increase in the recovery of narcotics, this should not make the force complacent as peddlars were still trying to induce youth in the State to take to drugs. Asking SSPs to conduct micro analysis of their own districts to check the flow of drugs, sale and its resale, Mr. Badal said that all drug peddlers would have to be dealt with an iron hand.
Agreeing with the suggestion of Director General of Police Mr. Sumedh Singh regarding weeding out of all those police personnel found colluding with drug peddlers, Mr. Badal said that weeding out of ‘rotten eggs’ has to begin from the higher level. He said besides intelligence and other sources, he was regularly getting feedback from many formal and informal channels regarding the problem of drug addiction in the state and any SSPs not performing in this area would have to lose the command of the district.The DGP informed the Deputy CM that Punjab Police has already stepped up its drive against drug addiction and more than 6300 drug peddlers and drug lords have been arrested since 1stApril 2013. He said that against 3545 cases registered under NDPS Act, 10220 cases were registered in 2012 and till date 7649 cases have already been registered. He said that smuggling of heroin from across the border is matter of great concern and against the seizure of 9.8 Kg heroin in 2003, Punjab Police had seized 278.46 cases heroin in 2012 and upto 31st July over 189.45kg heroin has been seized indicating the increased smuggling from across the border. The DGP also informed that 64.16 kg heroin has been recovered only from Amritsar Rural, 34.8 kg from Tarn Taran, 28.56 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 18.86 kg from Ferozepur, indicating the seriousness of problem.
Mr. Badal said that he would not be satisfied with the data till peddling of drugs continued at the grass root level. “We must smash the supply chain also”, he said adding “I vowed to the people of Punjab to eradicate this menace and I had also prayed to Almighty to give me strength to win this war against drugs. I am committed to fulfill my commitment to people of Punjab.” Giving a clear direction to identify and weed out corrupt elements from the police, Mr. Badal said that any officer suspended due to charges of corruption would be automatically debarred from any public dealing post in rest of his career. Mr. Badal said that Punjab Police has to move with the motto of ‘Security with Dignity’ and any unprofessional behavior by Punjab Police personal would not be tolerated.
Expressing concern over reports about inaccessibility of SSPs in some districts, Mr. Badal issued directions that every SSP would be available to the public on mobile phones for 24 hours. He said that the mobile phones of SSPs and Commissioners of Police should be widely publicized to the general public. He said every SSP must listen to the complaints of the general public from 11am to 1pm on all working days. “In case they are out of the district they must depute the next senior officer to listen to public complaints in their place”, he added.Asking IG NRIs to make NRIs Police Stations as world class police stations, Mr. Badal said that he would personally inaugurate the new buildings of 9 police stations on the 1st January 2014.
Focusing on community policing Mr. Badal said that the experiment of SAANJH Kendras in Punjab was so successful that he was getting queries from different states who want to emulate this model in their own state. Mr. Badal approved Rs. 20 crore for construction of 300 more SAANJH Kendras that would ensure one SAANJH Kendra for every police station.
The DGP informed that expression of interest for intensive coverage of Metro Cities with ‘Speed Cameras’ has already been floated and tenders would be finalized within 15 days. He also informed the Deputy CM that Punjab Police would again begin the drive to toe away vehicles parked wrongly in main cities of Punjab. Mr. Badal after reviewing the working of Police Control Rooms issued directions to Powercom to provide 24X7 power hotlines to all police control rooms.
Besides all SSPs and Police Commissioners, DIG Ranges, IG Zonals and top brass of the police also participated in the meeting.